Pros and Cons to Being Back on Campus

by · April 1, 2022

Between a year of online classes, a full return to campus, a Christmas Covid surge that put us back online for the start of spring 2022 semester, and a return to in-person once again, being a student at UVic over the past three years has had enough ups and downs to make my head spin.

But while some people adamantly prefer in-person classes, I will admit that I have found some pros as well as cons to being back on campus, and I think it’s important to acknowledge both. “Hybrid” models of education may be on the horizon, so check out my pros and cons list, and maybe you’ll find some of your own!

Pros

  1. Making new friends in classes

So many people I’ve talked to say the social aspect of school is what they truly felt they were missing when our classes were online.

I think I made more friends in classes in the first two weeks of semester one than I did in my prior two whole previous years as a UVic student.

There is definitely a sense in the campus culture that we’re ready to move past the awkwardness of Zoom break out rooms and make face-to-face connections–here’s to hoping we still want those in-class friendships when the masks come off 😉

Photo by Alexis Brown in Unsplash

  1. Being more engaged in lectures

I don’t know about you, but I was always incredibly distracted during Zoom classes.

How am I supposed to sit in one place in front of my laptop for hours when I could get up to do the dishes or play with my dog?

I’m finding that being in person for classes again makes me way more engaged with the lecture because I have less distractions. Even just being in an academic environment (ie, not my kitchen table) triggers my brain that it’s time to get to work.

Photo by Dom Fou in Unsplash

  1. Getting to know my professors

No amount of Zoom one-on-one office hours can replace the quality of in-person interactions with professors.

While it was easy to turn off our cameras and be an invisible student during the online environment, that’s no way to get to know the professors who have a wealth of knowledge and are there to support you.

I’m so glad that a return to campus means connecting more with profs!

Cons

  1. Commuting!

My number one complaint about my life as a UVic student is my 40-minute commute, each way, everyday.

I live in a suburb of Greater Victoria, Langford, and while it makes sense financially for me to live at home while going to school, the drive everyday kills me. It is certainly the thing that I did not miss when we did a year of online classes.

Photo by Nabeel Syed in Unsplash

  1. It’s harder catch up when you miss school

Last year, there were no sick days, really. And while it’s important to take a break to rest and recharge when we’re under the weather, it was pretty easy to catch-up on missed work online because school was from home already anyways.

A return to campus has made those out-of-the-blue missed days a bit more challenging, but I will say that it’s great that so many profs are recording in-person lectures this year.

Photo by Chris Montgomery in Unsplash

  1. Having less time in general

While I love the social aspect of on-campus life, I do find myself having less time to be productive on assignments because I’m frequently meeting up with friends and getting less work done than I should be.

Not to mention, we all saved a lot of time last year when going to and from school meant merely closing and opening your laptop.

In comparison to the online environment, I do find that my time is getting harder and harder to schedule because it’s so packed.

 

I hope you enjoyed this list of pros and cons and that it maybe inspired you to appreciate on-campus life or even rethink a disdain for the online environment! What are your pros and cons to being back on campus?

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